


Dark Chocolate

by Thunderbirds



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Additional Warnings In Author's Note, Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Alternate Universe - Magic, Demisexuality, Elves, Hybrids, Implied Sexual Content, M/M, Mystical Creatures, No Smut, Past Sexual Abuse, Slow Burn, Vampires, Werewolf, Witches
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-06-10
Updated: 2019-06-17
Packaged: 2020-03-04 23:27:03
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 9,782
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18822937
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Thunderbirds/pseuds/Thunderbirds
Summary: In a world of vampires, werewolves, witches, and elves, a lawyer and hybrid somehow make their way to each other.Or, Taeyong didn't like that the puppy he brought home turned into a man in the morning.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Fox_155](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Fox_155/gifts).



> I dedicated this to Fox_155 for inspiring me with her works and beta reading my own! Thank you <3

This might be one of the worst days of the year for Taeyong.

First, his car decided not to work this morning, causing him to be late to work. Second, he had to stay past midnight to catch up on the BigHit Pharmacy lawsuit _and_ the JYP Group lawsuit cases. Third, his co-worker and friend, Johnny, wasn’t here to help. (The quarterly meeting between all the alphas in Seoul was being hosted by Johnny’s pack. As one of the alphas of his pack, he had to be there.) Lastly, rain poured _heavily_ that dark night.

Taeyong mumbled angrily, walking briskly in the rain with a small, black umbrella. He couldn’t ask anyone for a ride because he stayed behind everyone else, and all the buses have already finished their route. His apartment was a good twenty blocks away, and the rain only seemed to fall harder. He used his phone as a flashlight, but only five percent battery remained.

Alas, Taeyong was only human. Not that being a vampire or werewolf would’ve helped, as neither had any supernatural abilities besides enhanced senses (despite what popular media portrayed). If he was a witch in advanced studies or an elf, he probably could’ve done a teleportation spell, or at least produced a rain reflection spell to keep his body dry. He had been told on many occasions that he was handsome enough to pass as an elf. However, he was none of those, so he could do none of that. He simply just had to walk.

The only upside was that his computer and case files were safe in his water-resistant briefcase. Plus, he didn’t work the next day since it was Sunday.

Just as he was about a mile away from his apartment, his phone ran out of battery, killing his light source. Cursing, Taeyong paused and scowled at the device. He gently placed the phone inside his briefcase, ignoring the urge to throw the useless thing against the nearest wall.

In the darkness, he caught something moving out of the corner of his eye. He turned his head, seeing that he was standing next to a small alleyway between two old apartment buildings. A few feet away, he noticed a wet, floppy cardboard box with no lid to close it. Usually, he wouldn’t hesitate to ignore what seemed like trash in an alleyway, something was moving inside. He took a step closer, peering at the box.

Drenched in the rain, a small, black puppy peeked up at him, hiding under a pair of dirty cargo pants. The left ear had a blunt tip, as if it had been cut by something, and it peered up at Taeyong with wide, fearful eyes. Immediately, Taeyong’s heart clutched, and his expression softened. Animals have always been his weakness, and this one needed help.

“Oh, sweetie,” he whispered, squeezing into the alleyway. As he crouched down, he could see the puppy shivering. He hovered his umbrella over the puppy to block the rain, uncaring when droplets hit his back.

He slowly showed the pup his open hand, waiting for it to sniff him before slowly moving to pet it. Its fur felt wet and cold from the rain. Taeyong noticed the lack of a collar.

“I’m gonna pick you up now,” Taeyong murmured.

He carefully placed the umbrella on the ground to shelter the pup as he used both hands to gently lift it from the box. He — Taeyong could tell the gender now that he picked him up — squirmed in his hands, letting out a low growl, but his pointed tail quivered between his hind legs.

Maneuvering his umbrella and the pup in his arms, Taeyong safely wrapped him in his jacket, holding him in one arm while carrying the briefcase and umbrella in the other hand.

“You don’t have to be scared,” he tried to soothe, stroking his head. “Let’s get you somewhere warm. You shouldn’t be out here at night.”

Leaving the pants in the box, Taeyong practically sprinted to his house, despite the aching of his blistering feet.

 

As soon as he stepped into his apartment, Taeyong kicked his shoes off and raced to the bathroom. He knew he left water droplets everywhere, but he could clean that up later. There were more pressing matters at hand, namely the shivering puppy in his arms.

Dropping his wet jacket, he placed the black dog in the bathtub. Hurriedly, he turned on the faucet, fiddling with the settings so the water wasn’t too cold or hot. When the warm water reached about five inches, he turned it off.

“How’s that?” he asked, dipping his cold fingers into the water.

The pup shook his coat, discarding the cold water and rolled (or tried to) in the warm water.

“I’m glad you’re happy,” he giggled, unbuttoning and discarding his wet shirt.

Suddenly, the dog yelped. Taeyong turned and blinked at the small creature. He seemed to have slipped.

“Silly,” Taeyong teased, picking up the pup to straighten him. “Why’re you slipping in five-inch water?”

He yipped up at Taeyong in a manner that seemed oddly embarrassed, making Taeyong laugh. “Let’s get you cleaned up.”

He decided to call him Jeffery. He knew it wasn’t a good idea to name an animal you don’t want to get attached to, but he couldn’t help it. Jeffrey just seemed fitting.

Taeyong carefully avoided the pup’s eyes and ears when using soap, surprised to find no fleas. After he rubbed out all the dirt, he found that Jeffery’s coat was actually a dark chocolate brown instead of black. He didn’t know much about breeds, so he couldn’t tell what Jeffery was. All he knew was that he’d kill anyone who’d try to hurt this beautiful creature.

Twenty minutes later, Taeyong dried the dog with a fluffy white towel.

“There you go.” He set Jeffery on the tile floor to let him roam. He shook his coat to discard more droplets before looking up at Taeyong, tongue hanging out and corners of his mouth pulled back in a smile.

Taeyong melted at the sight. Despite being dressed in wet clothes and slightly shivering, he felt undeniably happy at Jeffrey's smile. Almost all animals had that effect on Taeyong.

As he took off his wet pants, Jeffery abruptly barked and ran out of the bathroom.

“Wait! Pup-Jeffery!” He quickly grabbed a bathrobe to avoid running around naked.

He found him in the kitchen, front paw resting on the refrigerator door. He looked up at Taeyong with big, sad eyes, as if he knew the food was in there and was pleading for a meal.

“Oh, you’re probably hungry,” Taeyong noted dumbly. He grabbed his briefcase, taking out his dead phone and laptop. After plugging in his phone, he turned on his laptop to pull up Google.

_what human foods can dogs eat_

“Let’s see… carrots, eggs, cooked salmon, bread, apples, peanut butter… You can eat popcorn?”

Jeffery barked.

Taeyong walked to his fridge, opening it to see its bareness. He rarely went grocery shopping as he never ate dinner in his apartment. "Hmm… oh, we got salmon! What do you think? Fish for dinner?”

Jeffery responded with excited barks, tongue out and lips still tugged back in a smile. Taeyong couldn’t help but smile back.

Oh, he was in love.

But he couldn’t get too attached. Work required too much of his time for him to take care of a dog.

Taeyong quickly cooked the salmon, knowing Jeffery must be extremely hungry. He didn’t add any seasoning or sauce since he didn’t know if Jeffery’s metabolism could handle it. The entire time he cooked, Jeffery circled his feet, yipping happily at the smell of food.

“Almost there. Be patient now.” Once Taeyong plated the salmon, he placed it on the floor. “There you go.”

Jeffery pounced on the salmon like a cat in a hunt. His tail wagged so much that his butt moved back and forth from the sheer force. It almost made it difficult for him to eat because he was moving too much. Again, Taeyong found this utterly adorable.

“Don’t choke,” he said, realizing just how quickly the pup was eating.

He quickly got a bowl of water and placed it beside the salmon, but Jeffery was too preoccupied with the fish.

“Stay here, and don’t make a mess,” Taeyong warned, stepping away from the pup. “I’m gonna take a quick shower.”

Not bothering to close the bathroom door, he stripped and turned on the showerhead. He savored the hot water but knew he had to finish quickly. He didn’t exactly trust Jeffery alone in his apartment since he didn’t know how well trained — if at all — he was.

By the time he returned to the kitchen in old T-shirt and sweatpants, the plate of salmon was missing its salmon, and the bowl of water was missing its water. Taeyong spotted the puppy curled up on the rug in his living room, eyes closed in a peaceful slumber. He was probably too small to climb onto the couch. Taeyong’s heart melted all over again.

As quietly as possible, he cleaned the dishes and leftover puddles in his apartment. After he put his wet clothes and towels in the laundry, he silently made a makeshift bed with a blanket on the couch. He gently lifted the dog on top of it.

He wasn’t sure if the pup found the floor uncomfortable, but it wouldn’t hurt to let him sleep on the couch.

Grabbing his half-charged phone, he took a few pictures of the sleeping creature, smiling like a proud dad at each one. He sent a few to Johnny.

 _To: Princess John_  
_Look who I found tonight_  
_Sent 1:54am_

He knew it was late, but he didn’t have work on Sundays, which meant he could stay up and sleep in as much as he wanted. It was the one day of the week he could relax.

Taeyong didn’t drink much alcohol — because he was a lightweight — but every Saturday night (or early Sunday morning) needed to be celebrated with at least one glass of wine.

As he was grabbing the large wine glass from the cabinet, he heard his phone ring. He lunged for the device, not wanting it to wake up Jeffery.

“What?” he hissed at Johnny.

“Wow, is that how you always greet your friends?”

“Why’re you still up?” Taeyong reached for the almost-finished bottle of wine in the fridge. “Didn’t you say you were gonna stay the night at Ten’s?”

“Who do you think is keeping me up?”

Taeyong gagged in disgust. Ten was Johnny’s vampire boyfriend, and Taeyong would never pass up the chance to remind them that they were a literal Twilight fanfiction. Ten and Johnny talked very openly about their sex lives, and they often invited Taeyong to join. It was entirely embarrassing because Taeyong knew they only offered because they pitied him for being a 26-year-old virgin. He refused to join or watch his best friend and his boyfriend have sex under any circumstance.

Johnny snickered at his reaction. “I didn’t even have to take off my pants to make you ga-”

“Don’t finish that sentence if you don’t want me to stab you with a letter opener on Monday.”

Johnny laughed, thinking it was a joke. “Anyways, I saw the pictures. You adopted a puppy?”

Taeyong took a long sip of his wine. “No, I just found him in an alleyway in a cardboard box. He doesn’t have a collar, and it was pouring. I think I’ll drop him off at a nearby shelter tomorrow.”

“Really? But you love animals.” There was shuffling on Johnny’s end.

“I love them, but I can't take care of one. You know how busy the firm can get.” Taeyong mindlessly swirled the wine in his glass. “Oh, how was the alpha meeting?”

Johnny groaned. “Terrible. So, so, bad. I don’t get why we still have to keep up these stupid, ‘traditional’ ways. Alpha Sunny wanted to step down and let Beta Taeyeon take her place. Two omegas and one beta came in place of three of the alphas who were supposed to come. Half the alphas went totally berserk over that! It’s not like every alpha is a born leader and every omega is a submissive minion. Those poor betas and omegas were almost thrown out of the room, but luckily Alpha Leeteuk stopped that. Our pack leader Suho is still trying to discard the hereditary monarchy altogether and install a system where we vote for the leader—I feel like I told you this before.”

“Yup, it sounds a lot like the last alpha meeting.”

He groaned again. “We meet four times a year and make no progress. I just get a migraine after six hours of yelling.”

“Six hours?” Taeyong asked, surprised. “Last time you told me it took nine hours.”

“Yeah, well, it’s just the same meeting over and over again.”

He hummed, sipping on his wine. There was a beat of silence, although not uncomfortable.

“Are you drinking wine again?” Johnny asked.

“Yeah, why?”

Taeyong heard a repeated ‘tsk’ noise in the background. It must’ve been Ten.

“Taeyong, I swear,” Johnny mumbled. “Meet new people! Why’re you drinking wine by yourself?”

Taeyong groaned. “Johnny, we’ve had this conversation so many times...”

“And I’m not going to stop bringing it up,” he countered. “You're twenty-six with a good career and admirable reputation. You’ve got looks people would kill for, an apartment _I’d kill for_ , and a job… that’s kinda killing you. What’s better boyfriend material than that?”

“You sound like my aunt trying to set me up on a blind date.”

“Maybe you should go on that blind d-”

“No. I don’t want to date anyone right now,” Taeyong quickly added.

That was a lie. He always yearned for intimacy, but he never had enough time to date. He liked the idea of being in a relationship, but he didn’t like the idea of opening up to someone, and that was kind of required for a relationship.

“Okay, let’s forget dating,” Johnny dismissed. “You still shouldn’t be drinking by yourself all the time. You literally only know our co-workers.”

“I never have time.”

“Because you only asked for one day off out of a week? And I was the one who forced you to get it?”

It was true. Taeyong originally didn't want Sunday off. At first, he had worked seven nine-to-seven work days with overtime almost every day to pay off his student debt, but Johnny had seen how quickly Taeyong’s health was deteriorating, so he had tried to convince him to get the weekend off. He had only succeeded with Sunday. For the first few years, everyone had let Taeyong work hard because they all knew the heavy weight of student debt. By now, he already paid most of it off, so Johnny has been bothering him about getting more time off.

When he didn’t answer, Johnny sighed.

“I think you deserve more than one day a week for free time. You’ve never used your vacation hours.” Something moved loudly in the background. “Come to our company dinner next week. You never come.”

He took a large sip from his wine glass. “I don’t know. I’m not even close with our co-workers.”

“You know I’m g-gonna keep asking you — Ten, I’m talking to Taeyong. Besides, it’ll be much more exciting than drinking wine by yourself — oh, wow, okay. I’m so tying your hands up for that—”

Taeyong quickly hung up, knowing quite well that he did not need to hear that. Before he could refill his wine glass, his phone rang.

“Hello?”

“Hey, baby,” Ten greeted cheerily, calling from Johnny’s cell. “I know you said you didn’t want a threesome, but you can listen to me give Johnny a...”

He hung up again, feeling a migraine come on. Nothing was more pathetic than two of your friends constantly pitying your sex life (or lack thereof).

Skipping the glass, he downed the last few gulps of the wine from the bottle. Trying to forget the last bit of his conversation with Johnny, he scrolled through Instagram mindlessly. His brother Jisung posted a selfie of him and Chenle, his roommate and best friend.

Taeyong met Jisung’s strange roommate when Jisung had entered college and a few times when he had visited. Taeyong had first seen their dorm room before he saw Chenle, and he had assumed he was a witch or elf based on the sheer number of magical books that flooded his small bookshelf. When he had asked Chenle if he was a witch (since elves always had two different eye colors, which Chenle did not), it was shocking to find out that he was human. He just wanted to learn magic. Magic came naturally to witches and elves (more so elves), but humans could never learn magic. It was biologically impossible. Taeyong hadn't pointed this out, so he didn’t bring it up again. After all, the only important thing to Taeyong was that Chenle didn’t hurt Jisung.

He didn’t know how time passed before he heard a soft whimper. His gaze shot up to see the tan puppy whimper again.

His eyebrows furrowed as he quietly approached the couch. Jeffery’s legs moved in a jerky motion, as if he was running.

Did dogs have nightmares?

A sudden, heartbreaking whine pierced the air, and Taeyong was upon him in a moment.

“Oh, poor puppy,” he whispered, gently stroking Jeffery’s head. “It’s okay, it’s okay. You’re safe with me.”

The whimpers subsided slightly.

“Let’s get you to bed,” he murmured, gently lifting the pup. “You can sleep with me tonight.”

He didn’t really know if this worked for dogs, but whenever Jisung had nightmares, he’d cuddle with him during the night.

As Taeyong carried him to his bedroom, he felt Jeffery lazily licked Taeyong’s hand. He cooed at the sleepy puppy, already feeling more attached than he was comfortable with.

After he had tucked himself and the puppy beside him to sleep, Taeyong sighed happily in the softness of his bed. Jeffery rolled closer to Taeyong until he was flush against his warm shoulder.

“Goodnight,” he murmured. He fell asleep with his hand resting against the pup’s back.

 

This might be one of the best mornings of the year.

The birds quietly chirped outside his window, and his alarm didn’t go off since he didn’t have any work. His head felt too stuffy, but headaches were common in his line of work, and it didn’t bother it him too much. He cuddled up closer to the warm body next to him, wrapped safely in arms…

Taeyong _screamed_.

The man screamed, falling out of his bed.

Why was there a stranger in his bed?!

“Who the hell are you?” Taeyong demanded, grabbing the blankets to cover his body, despite being fully clothed.

The stranger stood up, arms out and palms out in a defensive posi—he was naked!

“Get out!” Taeyong shouted, throwing his pillow at the stranger.

“W-whoa, wait, wait, please,” he said, flinching at the pillow, but then grabbing it to shield his body — oh, his poor pillow.

“I-I can explain...”

“Who are you? I’ll call the police!” He didn’t actually know where he had left his phone.

“I-I-I’m Jeffery.”

“ _What_? What are you...”

Taeyong’s eyes widened. He finally noticed the ears and tail. The stranger’s hair matched Jeffery’s fur. The man’s pointed tail quivered between his legs in an all too familiar fashion, and his ears drooped. The tip of his left ear was blunt.

“W-were—no—you’re a _hybrid_?” Taeyong exclaimed, utterly shocked.

Hybrids were manufactured. The lab that made them was shut down by the government a few months ago. It had been big news when the world found out. Unlike werewolves, hybrids actually had the ears and tails of the animal they were infused with. Taeyong hadn't known they could _transform_. Werewolves lost that ability centuries ago.

Jeffery’s—the hybrid’s—ears drooped lower, and he curled into himself. “I-I’m sorry.”

Taeyong could gapped at the shaking hybrid, unable to wrap his head around what was happening. Before he could say anything, he sneezed violently, causing the hybrid to jump at the loud noise.

“Bless you?” the hybrid asked.

“What are you doing here?” Taeyong demanded, ignoring his blessing.

“I-I… you brought me here.”

“No, no, no. I brought—I thought I brought an abandoned puppy here. Why are you here?” he immediately countered. He felt… well, he wasn’t sure what he was feeling.

Alarmed? Of course.

Betrayed? Kind of.

Mad? Well… initially, he was furious. However, looking at the hybrid’s scared and pitiful expression, curled posture from shame, and shaking tail… some of that anger dispersed.

Taeyong rubbed his temples, feeling a headache forming. It was much too early for this. He began to slowly count to ten, letting the initial shock drain out. Logically, he could understand why a hybrid living in a cardboard box would want to stay in a warm house. He just hated that he brought a stranger into his home unknowingly.

“It’s… fine. For now. I guess,” Taeyong grumbled, swinging his legs off the bed.

The hybrid flinched at the movement. His knuckles were white from clutching the pillow so tightly. “I’m very sorry. I didn’t mean...”

Taeyong took a step towards his closet and faltered. He lifted his foot to see blisters on the bottom of both his feet. This morning was going fantastically.

Sighing, he ignored the pain and opened his closet. “Put these on and come out,” he said, throwing an old pair of sweatpants and shirt to the hybrid.

He left to make some coffee that he desperately needed. The microwave’s clock blared green: 8:02. Taeyong usually slept well past noon on Sundays since he was pretty much sleep deprived during the week.

Letting the coffee beans brew, Taeyong slumped against the kitchen counter and sighed deeply. He really didn't want that hybrid in his house.

He didn’t have anything against non-human beings. In fact, he despised humans who had prejudice towards the supernatural. He just didn’t expect the cute puppy that he cuddled with from last night to be a man in the morning.

“I-I’m really, really sorry.”

Taeyong looked up from the coffee pot to see the clothed dog hybrid with his head low in shame. Taeyong had lent one of his biggest sweatpants that usually pooled at his ankles, but they seemed to fit perfectly on the hybrid, if it weren’t for his tail that poked out uncomfortably. At least his shirt wasn’t small. It was only then he noticed the details of his guest's appearance. His hair color matched the coat of the puppy last night, long enough to each below his chin. Taeyong noticed the droopiness of his ears. His face seemed to have shrunken in on itself. Even as he was hunching, Taeyong could tell that he had a rather skinny frame, but that was probably due to not eating enough. His gaze low, expression apologetic and fearful.

Taeyong felt a little bad for being so hostile to him earlier.

“Coffee?” he offered neutrally, ignoring his apology.

The hybrid shook his head.

Taeyong poured one cup for himself and a cup of water for the hybrid while he shifted awkwardly.

“Sit,” Taeyong instructed, gesturing to his kitchen island. He took the stool across from the hybrid. His head still hung low when Taeyong slid the mug of water towards him.

“What’s your name?” he asked.

He seemed startled by the question, finally looking up at his eyes with shock. Taeyong couldn’t help but think of hot cocoa when peering at them.

“J-Jaehyun.”

“Jaehyun. Do you have a home?”

He shook his head, ears swaying lightly.

“So, you’re homeless?”

He nodded.

Taeyong vaguely recalled cargo pants in the cardboard box from last night.

“Do… you have any family or friends you can stay with?”

He shook his head. “The blue-suits shut down Home, and I was the only one left over. They said I could go anywhere.”

Taeyong blinked. He had so many questions. “Wait, what do you mean ‘home’ shut down?”

Jaehyun hunched his shoulders more, playing with his fingers. “T-they told us to call it Home.”

It took a minute, but he finally figured that Jaehyun called the laboratory which made the hybrids “Home.” Jaehyun looked uncomfortable talking about it, so he didn’t press.

“Who are the blue-suits?” Taeyong asked instead.

Jaehyun shrugged. “I-I don’t know. One day, so many of them came in, and they took our Fathers and Mothers.” He didn’t look terribly sad about it.

Taeyong furrowed his eyebrows in confusion. “…Are you talking about the police?”

Jaehyun tilted his head. “What is ‘pole-lease?’”

Taeyong had no response to that. He was too shocked to answer. He didn’t know what kind of environment YG Laboratory raised these hybrids. The news only focused on the criminal court cases of the scientists. He just understood the general gist: YG Lab got shut down because of illegal experimentation of humans and animals. He didn’t want to assume, but if he was being optimistic, Jaehyun seemed… sheltered. As a lawyer, he knew he shouldn’t be optimistic.

This missing hybrid seemed too big for him to handle. He should call the police and let them take care of it.

But he still had a few more questions.

“Mother and father? Were your parents there?”

“Oh, no, no, no,” Jaehyun quickly rebutted. “They weren’t my parents. They told us to call the people in the white coats Father and Mother because they saved us. Big Father said our parents abandoned us, but he gave us life. We were reborn.”

This sounded like a cult.

“You said you were the only one left over. Earlier?” Taeyong asked instead, moving to take a sip of coffee.

“Yes, I didn’t have a foster home,” Jaehyun said. “There were only nine of us, and the others got a foster home. The blue-suits took Fathers and Mothers away before they could find me a master.”

The sudden use of that word alarmed Taeyong so much that he choked on his coffee. “Master?”

The hybrid only nodded, as if it was normal. “Yes. Our purpose is to serve humans.” He smiled, eyes sparkling with zeal. “We were reborn for humans. Our motto is ‘ _prosum_!’ It means ‘to be useful’ in Latin. That’s the hybrid code!” It was as if he was proud of it.

Taeyong wanted to vomit and cry at the same time. Jaehyun wasn’t sheltered. He was freaking _indoctrinated_.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Below is a link to Jaehyun's puppy form. I won't reveal the exact breed yet, even if it may be obvious to some people. It'll come in another chapter!
> 
> [Jaehyun, ???](https://www.keystonepuppies.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/Chocolate-Lab-Category.jpg)
> 
> Also, I don't plan for this to be a long story. Maybe 10 chapters, at most? I hope to finish this before the end of summer!


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Taeyong makes Jaehyun cry.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TW: Slight sexual content. Nothing explicit.
> 
> This chapter took much longer than I'd like. I kept going back to edit things. Hope you enjoy!

In college, Taeyong had wanted to be a human rights lawyer.

His freshman Sociology 201 essay began like this:

_The term “supernatural” is an old-fashioned and inaccurate word that groups vampires, werewolves, elves, and witches together. It suggests that they are not “natural,” and humans are the norm. In reality, the existence of these beings is due to a science that has not been discovered yet. Since the Great Reveal of 1893, supernaturals emerged into the light, laying open fields of biology, science, and evolution that humans previously hadn’t discovered. However, because this science had not been known prior, the word “supernatural” arouse, dubbing non-humans as abnormal._

Taeyong had continued on to talk about the false pretenses of the supernatural and how those prejudices were the catalysts to the rejection, fear, prejudice, and fetishization of the supernaturals. That class had been an easy A, but the things he had learned impacted his view on society so much that he felt the need to do something about it.

If a supernatural complained about the unfair treatment humans inflict on them, no one listened. If a human complained about the unfair treatment towards the supernatural, people listened because humans held more power than supernaturals. That’s why he wanted to be a human rights lawyer, to defend the rights of everyone.

Then he had learned that “human rights” meant exclusively humans.

Many cases about supernatural rights ended with unsavory results for the supernatural. Some were even fined for wasting the time of the judge or jury by creating a case. Many human rights firms and lawyers solely worked on human rights cases, completely ignoring the rest of the population. Taeyong had ended up at SM Credence Corporate Law Firm.

Even though Jaehyun wasn’t exactly a supernatural, Taeyong still felt the need to stand up for him and let him know that he was his own self, not an object that served humans.

“Wow, you’re up before noon…”

“Johnny, help me,” Taeyong squeaked into his phone, pacing in his room.

“What? What happened?” Johnny asked, dropping his teasing voice. “Are you okay?”

“Yeah, yeah, I’m fine,” he replied, opening his bedroom door slightly to peer out. Jaehyun was still seated at the kitchen island, happily devouring a bowl of cereal, his tail wagging behind him. “Okay, that puppy from last night? Turns out, he’s a hybrid that can transform. He’s in my kitchen, but I don’t think I can call the police because they basically just let him go homeless after shutting down YG.”

There was a pause. Taeyong could imagine Johnny’s confused expression, trying to process what he had just said.

“Wait. A hybrid? As in from YG Laboratory?”

“Yes!”

“But…” Johnny took another long pause. “You have to call the police, right? I mean, isn’t there some program for them after they shut down the lab?”

Taeyong ran his hand through his hair, glancing back at Jaehyun outside. “Yeah, you’d think. They just told him he could go wherever he wants. I think he’s been homeless since.”

“Okay, well, I still think you should go see them. It was a big case. There must be someone who took them in somewhere,” Johnny reasoned. “I mean, how many hybrids were there?”

“There are nine of them, but he was the only one in the lab when it got shut down,” Taeyong answered.

“See? That should be enough to start some program, right? To let them ease back into society. The police aren’t that irresponsible.”

Taeyong bit his thumb nail. Something didn’t feel right. Jaehyun hadn’t sounded like he saw his fellow hybrids since they were put into foster homes — whatever that meant. Therefore, he hadn’t seen them after the lab shutdown. Did the police even retrieve the other hybrids from the houses? Why did they just let Jaehyun go? Did they even know what the labs did to the hybrids?

“I-I don’t know,” he admitted to Johnny after a long pause. “Could you please ask Ten? I know he probably hasn’t heard anything, but could you still ask? Just in case?”

“Sure,” Johnny answered comfortingly. “I’ll ask him now.”

“Thank you,” he replied sincerely.

Ten had graduated last year at Korean National Police University at the top of his class. He was only a 25-year-old police officer with about a year of experience under his belt, but the police community had high expectations for him. He was often requested to assist in high-level cases, and he never disappointed. Even if he was a year younger than Johnny and Taeyong, he accomplished so much. By next year, he aimed to be Assistant Inspector.

Johnny was Taeyong’s best friend, and even though he trusted his co-worker’s thinking, he’d feel much better if Ten knew about a program or system for Jaehyun.

Taeyong sneezed.

“Tae?” Ten’s voice came through his phone.

“T—“

“Don’t go to the police,” Ten warned, shocking him. “Stay right there. We’ll come to you.”

He hung up, leaving him in stunned silence. It took a moment for him to process what Ten had said. He felt his anxiety rise quickly. If Ten didn’t want him to go to the police, then that means they would do something bad to him or Jaehyun, right? Why?

Taeyong began to pace again.

Would they face charges? Was he or Jaehyun doing something illegal? Hoarding a hybrid couldn’t be illegal. No, that wouldn’t make any sense.

“Master?”

There hadn’t been any law made about it. Besides, why would helping a homeless hybrid be illegal? Ten hadn’t sounded like he was joking though. Were the police trying to cover something up? Did it have something to do with the YG Laboratory?

“Master?”

Or was it the other 8 hybrids? Where could they have gone? Did the _police_ do something to them?

“Sir!”

Taeyong whipped his head up and stopped pacing. Jaehyun hovered just outside his room with a worried expression.

“Are you okay, Mas—Sir?”

Blinking rapidly to clear his head, Taeyong nodded.

“Yes. Um. Yes, I’m fine. I-I… Uh, two of my friends will be coming over soon, I think. Did you need something?”

Jaehyun smiled brightly, two dimples cutely indenting his thin cheeks. It was enough to relieve Taeyong’s anxiety a tiny bit.

“No, thank you very much for the gracious meal. I washed all the dishes in the sink as well as my bowl.”

His anxiety came back.

“Oh! Wow, uh, you didn’t need to do that. Thank you.”

If he thought his smile before was bright, he had no words to adequately describe Jaehyun’s beaming face.

“It’s my pleasure! You’re a really kind master. I will do my best to repay your kindness.”

A cold shudder ran down Taeyong’s spine. “Please, don’t call me master.” He watched the hybrid for a moment. “Are you okay? You’re kind of hovering.”

Jaehyun blinked. He hadn’t entered Taeyong’s room and simply stood outside the entrance. His dark ears twitched.

“Do I have permission to come in?”

“W-what?” Taeyong sputtered. “Of course! Why would…” He knew why, and he didn’t want to talk about it. “…Nevermind. You can come in, if you want.”

Suddenly exhausted, Taeyong sat at the foot of his bed. He lowered his head and rubbed his temples, closing his tired eyes. Why wasn’t his headache leaving? (He vaguely remembered that he hadn’t drunk water this morning and bad opted for coffee instead.)

“You seem stressed. Would you like my help?”

The sight that greeted Taeyong when he opened his eyes made his heart seize. Jaehyun looked up at him, kneeling in between his legs. He blinked up innocently, unaware of Taeyon’s frozen state. With his ears drawn back submissively, he rested his cheek against Taeyong’s inner thigh and softly cupped his ankles, thumbing his lower calves affectionately.

Taeyong couldn’t move. He couldn’t even flinch as Jaehyun close his eyes and nuzzle his cheek against his thigh in a twisted-loving manner. When he looked up at him with wide eyes, Taeyong felt like puking. He didn’t like this.

He didn’t like how Jaehyun called him master. He didn’t like how he dropped to his knees after knowing him for a few hours. He didn’t like how he felt obligated to give him a blowjob for a measly bowl of cereal.

_Did they teach this at the lab?_

Jaehyun looked unsure with the lack of response. He slid his hands under Taeyong’s sweatpants and up his calves. “Can I make you feel good?”

The spell broke, and Taeyong could move. He furiously pushed himself away from Jaehyun and scrambled further up his bed. His back slammed against the headboard, frantically breathing. Knees brought up to his chest and arms wrapped protectively around him, Taeyong stared in horror. Jaehyun stared back, looking confused and hurt.

Taeyong felt sick looking into those eyes. He couldn’t understand the chaotic emotional turmoil boiling in his belly. The urge to puke grew stronger.

“S-sir?”

“ _Don’t_ ,” he shuddered, voice small. “I hate master. I hate sir. I hate… Please just call me by my name.”

Jaehyun tilted his head slightly in confusion. “O-okay. What is…”

Three sharp knocks came from the front door. “Taeyong! Open up!”

He bolted from his bedroom, leaving Jaehyun. Swinging the door open, he felt so relieved at the sight of his friends.

“Where’s Jaehyun?” — Ten’s eyes widened — "Taeyong! Are you okay? You're so pale.”

He could barely register Ten's words. His words died in his mouth. The ground began to approach him. Right before he blacked out, he realized two things: he had fallen, and he never told Jaehyun his name.

 

Taeyong woke with a throbbing in his skull and a wet towel on his forehead.

“…not a good idea, Johnny.”

His eyes opened only halfway, recognizing the ceiling of his living room.

“What else can we do? If what you’re saying is true, then he doesn’t have a birth certificate, social security number, or documentation.”

The couch felt comfortable. He closed his eyes.

“What I’m saying is true, and the police are not a good idea. Heck, I’m the police, so listen to me. If we go to them, he’ll either get killed or taken away.”

_…What?_

His eyes flew open, and he bolted into a sitting position. The wet towel flopped onto his lap. The clock showed that he had been passed out for about ten minutes.

“Mr. Taeyong!”

He turned to see Jaehyun in a kneeling position beside the couch, a bowl of ice water beside him. His hands clutched at the fabric of his pants, but he looked like he wanted to reach out to Taeyong. His dark eyes shined with relief and guilt.

“Mr. Taeyong, I’m so sorry,” he immediately apologized, ears drooped low and tail still. “Please forgive me.”

He threw his torso down, forehead on the floor in a deep bow. In the corner of his eye, Taeyong could see Ten’s and Johnny’s jaw slacken.

“I apologize for my lack of skill as a servant, Mr. Taeyong. I spent the entire morning with you and hadn’t realized that you were sick. My attempt to relieve your stress was nothing but a poor demonstration of my skills, and if another chance would be granted to me, I would make sure not to disappoint you. I will take any punishment you see fit.”

It was as if he had a speech ready in his head to recite. Jaehyun spoke without a hint of tremor, but Taeyong saw his quivering tail and ears drawn back.

Taeyong didn't understand what came over him. When he had found out Jaehyun's situation, he had felt sorry for him, but after waking up to this bullshit, that pity seemed to have disappeared. Instead, he was just so sick of this.

“That’s not necessary,” Taeyong dismissed, sighing. “Please get up.” His head throbbed. He couldn’t think straight with all the static in his ears. The area behind his eyes hurt.

Jaehyun didn’t budge. “My actions were unforgivable, Ma—Mr. Taeyong. Any punishment that you deem fit will be gratefully accepted as encouragement to improve myself…”

“Shut up.”

Jaehyun froze. Even his trembling tail stilled.

Taeyong slid off the couch and sat in front of him. He took his shoulders and forced him to sit up so he could look at him eye-to-eye.

“Shut the hell up. You’re a person,” Taeyong hissed, having no patience left for Jaehyun’s behavior. “You’re a freaking sentient being with a free will and emotions. That lab? Those people in white coats? They’re trying to strip that right away from you. Don’t you feel stupid for letting people walk over you? What about your own feelings? No one is ever meant to serve another person, and no one is above or below anyone else based on their ‘race’ or ‘type’ or supernaturality. Do you get it?”

Jaehyun’s eyebrows furrowed. He looked so lost and confused. Taeyong’s head pounded, and he let out a groan.

“I-I’m sorry, I think I can understand if you explain one more time…”

Taeyong wanted to shake some sense into him, but he froze when he realized the tears in Jaehyun's eyes. He blinked quickly, determined to not let them fall.

“I’m sorry for being stupid and useless.”

Taeyong was about to scream. There wasn’t anything wrong with him! YG had screwed up his mentality! Fix it!

“Okay, let’s not right now,” Johnny quickly said, knowing Taeyong was on the verge of losing it. “Ten? Can you talk to Taeyong somewhere private? I’d like a moment with Jaehyun.”

Jaehyun shrunk into himself, obviously not liking that he had to be alone with an 8-foot giant. Taeyong didn’t want to leave the hybrid alone either, but Ten was already dragging him to his bedroom.

“Why can’t he just understand?” Taeyong collapsed onto his bed. He just wanted to sleep away this headache.

“Probably because he’s been fucking raised to believe he’s inferior since he can remember,” Ten replied hotly.

Taeyong stared at him, not expecting Ten’s mad reaction.

“If you were forced to believe you served humans, and then a human starts being a jackass about your life’s purpose, how would you react? Not great, huh?” Ten asked sarcastically.

Taeyong let Ten’s words sink in. They provided some clarity in his foggy mind. Guilt began to seep through, and he remembered the tears in Jaehyun’s eyes. He had really acted like a jackass back there.

“Oh,” Taeyong softly said.

He sat up with his legs crossed to face Ten. Absentmindedly, he fingered at the blisters on his feet, but band-aids stopped him.

“He put those on you when you were passed out,” Ten said, answering his unspoken question. He sat down beside Taeyon. “Sorry about calling you a jackass, even if you kind of acted like one. You can apologize to him later. Right now, I should explain something to you.”

Taeyong had almost forgotten why Ten and Johnny had come in the first place. He put aside his guilt for now and shifted closer to Ten.

“Okay, tell me,” he pressed. “Why can’t we go to the police? What’s going on?”

Ten took a deep breath, rubbing the palm of his hands on his pants. “Okay. Well. This is kind of secretive stuff, so the fact that I’m saying this could get me in some trouble…”

“Wait,” Taeyong interrupted, mind reeling. “If you’re going to get in trouble, then you don't have to tell me.”

Ten shook his head. “No, you should hear it. Now, no interruptions. I already explained to Johnny, and it’s a long story. Essentially, I was there when we shut YG down.”

 

_“Ten, you’re with us!”_

_“Yes, sir!” Ten answered, smiling brightly at Inspector Kim Heechul._

_This was the third time he was allowed to go on an operation, despite only having been an officer for less than seven months._

_With a happy, but minuscule, bounce in his step, Ten weaved around the desks to follow the other senior officers into the changing rooms to gear up. He took a bulletproof vest, gloves, goggles, and helmet that hung from the clothing rack. Adjusting his vest, his sensitive ears picked up a conversation outside the room that involved his name._

_“They’re letting Ten go? Again?” Joonyoung whined. “We’re literally the same rank as him. What’s so special about that leech?”_

_“Nothing. He just blows Inspector Heechul under the desk,” Eddy replied._

_“Nah, he definitely lets him fuck him,” Roy piped up._

_“A blood-sucking twink like that needs a good fucking,” Joonyoung said._

_The three snickered amongst themselves, and Ten rolled his eyes so hard that it hurt. It wouldn’t be very nice to shoot them all, would it?_

_A loud bang echoed through the room as Inspector Lee Donghae dropped a locked box of guns on the ground. Inspector Choi Siwon and Inspector Heechul stood on either side of him._

_“Gather around and sign out a gun,” Inspector Donghae said, unlocking the box._

_All officers took a handgun and wrote down the number that was attached to it on a clipboard next to their name. Ten’s name was never on the clipboard because he wasn’t a senior officer, so he had to write it on the backside of the paper. Inspector Donghae waited for everyone to retrieve a gun before speaking._

_“Listen up,” he commanded. “As always, guns are a last resort. We are searching and seizing YG Laboratory for the disappearance, experimentation, and illegal importation of hundreds of dogs, cats, and variance wildlife. As you all know, we’ve been looking into them for quite a while, and we still don’t know the full extent to their crimes. Based on all the evidence we collected, it was best to issue the search and arrest warrant now. When we bust in, arrest everyone and grab everything. Leave no file, computer, or hard drive uncollected, understood?”_

_A roughly unison “yes, sir!” echoed throughout the room._

_“You know your team leaders. They know what to do. Ten, you’re with Siwon.”_

_As Ten followed Inspector Siwon’s team out to the black van, he saw Joonyoung, Roy, and Eddy being harshly scolded by Inspector Wendy in front of all the other officers. He watched in amusement when she hit each of their bowed heads with a rolled-up newspaper. She was one of the few humans in the police force Ten knew that genuinely believed and fought for equality between supernaturals and humans._

_Officer Seulgi stood by the printer, away from the commotion. She caught his eye and nodded at him. He nodded back, sending a grateful smile. As a beta werewolf, she had the same enhanced senses as him, so she would’ve heard the conversation as well._

_“C’mon, kiddo,” someone called, pushing Ten into the van._

_The ride to the laboratory was packed and quiet. Shoulders squished against other’s and sweat forming on his back, Ten was brimming with excitement. He had only started seven months ago, but his impressive performance in previous operations put him in a very good light for the higher-ups. It didn’t hurt that he also graduated from KNPU on top of his class. He aimed to be the first vampire to become an Assistant Inspector within two years._

_The paved city roads gave way to gravel road, which gave way to dirt road. The Seoul skyscrapers disappeared, and tall trees took their place. Ten didn’t recognize this part of Seoul Forest._

_“We’ll be stopping about a hundred meters away,” Inspector Siwon informed, glancing back at everyone in the rearview mirror. “I know some of you are wondering why we brought three teams for a simple search-and-seizure, but YG Labs isn’t a simple case. There’s a lot of dangerous people there, and we want this to go as smoothly as possible. Heechul’s team will go through the front doors with the warrants. Donghae’s team will cover the exits on ground. We have the hard job. We’ll be coming in from above. We’ll be scaling up the building with ropes and enter through the door on the roof when Heechul gives the word. Then, all exits are covered.”_

_This was Ten’s first search-and-seizure, but he knew that this was unusual. From what he learned, one or two teams came in with warrants on display, quickly arrested the ones in question, and the rest collected anything that could be evidence. Inspector Siwon was acting like this was a SWAT operation. Ten scanned his teammates, noting their confused but focused expressions._

_“You mentioned dangerous people. Should we be expecting armed subjects?” Ten asked._

_“I don’t know,” Siwon said honestly. “It would be hard for them to obtain guns, but it wouldn’t surprise me if they illegally smuggled some. That’s why I want everyone to be on guard. We don’t know what they’ll do.”_

_That didn’t reassure Ten, but it definitely didn’t scare him. In fact, it only made him even more determined and focused._

_The van soon came to a stop. They unloaded from the car and quickly weaved through the woods. The windowless, gray YG building spread far but not high, thankfully. Ten approximated that it was two stories._

_Swiftly, Ten and Siwon’s team quietly scaled up the walls with grade A military equipment. The stable wires let them walk vertically until they reached the roof. Ten and three other officers stood by the double doors, ready to bust through._

_Through Ten’s earpiece, he heard Inspector Heechul tell the receptionist, “Inspector Heechul from SMPA. We have a search and arrest warrant for all twenty-seven scientists and board directors working at YG. Please step aside.”_

_A few seconds passed before Heechul said, “Now.”_

_Simultaneously, Ten and the other officers slammed their padded shoulders against the door, breaking the lock and giving entry. Moving down the stairs quickly, they reach the 2nd floor. Ten could hear shouts of alarm and anger from the story below._

_The 2nd floor appeared to be where the experiments took place. Dozens of scientists in white lab coats thrusted their hands in the air at the sight of armed police, abandoning their microscope, Petri dishes, and tubes of strange liquids._

_“You are all under arrest for the illegal experimentation on wildlife,” Siwon shouted with authority. Half his team moved to cuff every scientist. “You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law. You have the right to an attorney…”_

_Ten drowned out Siwon’s voice, listening closely to something on the first floor. Water splashing? Or spilling? It definitely wasn’t something from the bathroom._

_He tried to focus. In a room on the first floor, just below him, frantic footsteps overlapped with the erratic splashing of liquid. An empty canister dropping on concrete floor echoed…_

_“Ten!”_

_He automatically straightened. “Sir?”_

_“Search the other rooms with the guys,” Siwon said. “We’ll take these ones downstairs.”_

_“Yes, sir.”_

_He followed a few officers out to the other rooms. Other than a few stranglers trying to hide, nothing unusual happened. A few officers took the stray scientists down to the cars, leaving Ten and one other senior officer._

_Despite the fact that YG experimented on hundreds of animals, he didn’t see a single cage or animal. Were they all on the 1st floor?_

_Ten closely observed the many glass cabinets full of unmarked bottles of pills. Each cabinet had a label: Australian Kelpie, Red wolf, Netherland Dwarf rabbit, Pudú deer, Siamese cat, Casque-headed lizard…_

_Ten didn’t bother to read the rest, finding the pills more interesting. There were so many different kinds. There were tablets, capsules, blue, yellow, pink, and black ones. His head started to spin, looking at how many there were._

_Vaguely, Ten heard from the first floor, “Setting this place on fire is not the answer.”_

_He couldn’t suppress a gasp._

_“What is i-“_

_“Shhh!” Ten hissed, uncaring that he was rude to his senior._

_He concentrated._

_“Shut up!” a squeaky voice filled with fear shouted. “I’ll kill you! I’ll k-”_

_His senior spoke again. “You really think you’re some hot stuff, don’t y-”_

_“Shush,” Ten demanded, pressing his finger on the officer’s mouth._

_“That won’t be necessary.” That was Senior Officer Bae Juhyun’s voice. She was the only other supernatural amoung the three teams. “Please, let the boy g-“_

_“No!” the voice shouted. “No! I know your kind! The two-colored eyes! If you filthy elf make one move, I’ll slit his throat!”_

_The officer beside Ten scoffed. “Wow._ Wow. _In all my years… Just because Inspector Siwon lets y-“_

_“There’s a hostage situation downstairs,” Ten explained quickly. “He sounds armed. We have to go.”_

_The officer rolled his eyes. “Sure. Like you know.”_

_“I have enhanced hearing,” he snapped. “I just heard it downst-“_

_“Now you’re flaunting your powers? How rich.”_

_Ten stared at him in disbelief. Did he not just hear what he said?_

_“Let me tell you something,” the officer barked, shoving his finger in Ten’s face. “Us humans might not h-“_

_Ten bolted out the lab, knowing he was wasting time. Racing down the stairs, the potent odor of gasoline hit him hard, making him stumble._

_“Stay back!” the squeaky voice shouted. “Or I’ll drop it!”_

_“Okay!” That was Senior Officer Park Sooyoung. “We’ll back up. See?”_

_Ten followed the noise. The smell grew stronger. He found himself in a secluded and dreary hallway with enough doors to remind Ten of his overpacked college dorm._

_Only one room had its door wide open, and it reeked of gasoline._

_Ten pressed his back against the wall beside the door, gun in hand. He leaned in and peeked inside._

_It was a bedroom. The white walls were plain, a simple bed placed against the wall and a desk against the other side. Everything was soaked in gasoline. Officer Juhyun and Officer Sooyoung stood with their guns and hands in the air. Their eyes briefly fleeted to Ten, but they schooled their expression as if they hadn’t seen him. A short but large scientist faced away from Ten, slowly backing up to the door. He didn’t seem to notice him. His right hand held a lit lighter, low near the ground. His left arm was wrapped around the neck of a tall, shaking boy in a patient’s gown._

_“You can go,” Officer Juhyun said calmly. “Please, put the knife down and leave the boy.”_

_Ten couldn’t see the knife, but he inferred that it was pressed against the boy’s neck._

_“No! Fu-“_

_Ten pocketed his gun and lunged at the scientist, reaching to hold both of the scientist’s meaty hands. He pushed the knifed one away and kicked the back of the boy’s knees, making him kneel low. His right hand gripped tightly around the scientist’s, making sure the lighter didn’t drop._

_Officer Juhyun’s pink and red eyes glowed brightly, and she flicked her wrist. The lighter and knife magically wrenched themselves from his hands, flying straight to her own._

_Ten hooked his arms at the scientist’s elbows and drew them back, surrendering him of his arms. The scientist screamed, flailing and struggling against his hold._

_“Oh, shut up.” Officer Sooyoung swung her fist at his jaw, effectively knocking the scientist out._

_Was that allowed? Ten didn’t ponder on it and dropped the unconscious man, sighing out in relief._

_“Nice job,” Officer Sooyoung said, patting his shoulder._

_Officer Juhyun used an elevation spell to lift the body. “We got him. Can you take care of the boy?”_

_Ten looked to see the hostage sitting pressed up against the wall with his knees to his chest and arms covering his head. He was still shaking._

_“Yes, ma’am.”_

_He walked over to the boy, putting on a smile. In his most comforting voice, he said, “Hi, there. You don’t have to worry. The bad man is gone now.”_

_The boy slowly lifted his head, and Ten noticed three things. One, this boy was actually not as young as he thought. Maybe in his early-twenties. Two, he was crying. Three, he had dog ears._

_Ten blinked at him, curious as to how a cosplaying young adult made his way to YG Laboratory. Before he could ask, the boy spoke up._

_“M-monster.”_

 

Taeyong furrowed his eyebrows. “He called you monster?”

Ten nodded. “That was over three months ago. It looks like he's still terrified of supernaturals. I think he has enhanced senses like vampire and werewolves. He can smell the differences between supernaturals, like us. He thought I was going to suck all his blood out. In fact, when we came in to your apartment, he kept saying things like ‘my blood wouldn’t taste good’ and ‘I have silver.’ After we put you on the couch, he wouldn’t let us near you. It was like he expected us to attack.”

Taeyong ran his hand through his hair. “But… why?”

“Because they raised him like that,” Ten said. “Before the scientists made them hybrids, they were orphans. Human orphans. They had no birth certificate, paperwork, or any legal proof of their existence. They took them in at a young age and experimented on them.”

Taeyong bit his thumb, immediately thinking of how many laws YG broke from only that act.

“Why did you let him go?” he asked. “Jaehyun told me you guys said he could leave the station.”

Ten frowned, creases forming between his eyebrows. “For the same reason I told you not to go to the police. No one actually knew he was a hybrid until we got back to the station and read the files. Jaehyun’s file said his DNA was fused DNA from an Australian kelpie, a type of dog breed. He can only transform into a puppy, but never a full-grown dog. There were no other hybrids in the building because they were sold.”

“Sold to whom?”

“To the rich. To the powerful. For a very high price.” Ten pulled out his phone, opening Google and typing something in. “Here. This is Congressman Kim. He bought a red wolf hybrid.” Ten searched a different name. “Song Qian, also known as Victoria. She’s the CEO for FX Electric Cars. She was their first buyer.” He put away his phone. “Everyone who bought a hybrid is a very rich and powerful public figure. We were planning to get them and bring them to the station, but a few hours later, a group of lawyers came in. They worked for all those people that bought a hybrid. Basically, they said that we couldn’t take the hybrids because they were products. They were simple assets that had been sold to them, and we couldn’t take them. They kept going on about how the hybrids had no documentation or legal presence as citizens, and they weren’t considered as supernaturals. There aren’t any laws about hybrids or hybrid rights. They really… acted like they were some product you could buy off a shelf.”

Ten ran both hands through his hair. Taeyong knew that he did that whenever he was troubled.

Ten took a deep and shaky breath. “Inspector Heechul didn’t want to listen to them, but the higher-ups told us to lay off. Just quickly finish the investigation and leave it to the legal teams. We had to let Jaehyun go. The lawyers were trying to find a way to keep him too. He couldn’t stay at the station or with any of us. They’d find him if we did that. Plus, he could turn into a puppy to evade any human. We thought letting him go would be the best option.”

Taeyong never saw Ten look so distressed. He was always the sassy, funny, and chic one of the three. He did have serious moments, but this was a new expression on Ten.

“Would the lawyers find him if we go the police? And that’s why you said we couldn’t go?” he asked.

Ten nodded. “Or someone would tell the lawyers that he was at the station.”

Taeyong ran his fingers through his hair and rubbed his face, letting his dull mind process the information thoroughly. “Okay. Okay. I understand now. What do we do now?”

His friend gave him a somber look. “I don’t know.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [Jaehyun, Australian kelpie](https://i.pinimg.com/originals/ce/81/a0/ce81a0ee835c1c5745e7604f96c5f567.jpg)  
>  
> 
> This is the police ranking that I found on the Wikipedia of Korean police ranks.  
> Superintendent  
> Senior Inspector  
> Inspector  
> Assistant Inspector  
> Senior Police Officer  
> Police Officer
> 
> Hopefully it was clear that Ten is at the bottom of the ranks, but he is allowed to do a few things a senior police officer would do.


End file.
